Couple exchanging christmas gift with red bow on background of christmas tree with lights. Stylish couple hands holding present

#Christmas Features

From gift ideas to surviving the Christmas season unscathed this is your one stop shop for festive features which will guide you through this holiday period.

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Sarah_Butler
Sarah Butler: My foolproof recipe for roast Christmas turkey
Darina Allen: Try these recipes for stress-free starters for your Christmas feast
Darina Allen: Try these recipes for stress-free starters for your Christmas feast
This week I’m mulling over possible starters for the Christmas feast - something light, lovely, tantalisingly fresh and easy to serve.

Sun, 07 Dec, 2025

Be my guest: Your ultimate guide to hosting this Christmas
Be my guest: Your ultimate guide to hosting this Christmas
Whether you’re hosting for the very first time or gathering the usual crowd for another Christmas around the table, we asked the experts for their golden rules on how to make it all run smoothly.

Sun, 07 Dec, 2025

Seven delicious recipes to make Irish seafood part of your Christmas feast
Seven delicious recipes to make Irish seafood part of your Christmas feast
Aishling Moore’s modern seafood recipes for a spectacular celebration

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025

Christmas Family Dinner Table Concept
10 Irish products to buy for the food lover's Christmas pantry
Raise your festive eating pleasure with these 10 pantry essentials, writes Ali Dunworth

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025

A taste of Christmas: Festive food gifts to give this year
A taste of Christmas: Festive food gifts to give this year
If food writer Joe McNamee isn’t writing about the finest Irish food and drinks, then he’s eating and drinking the stuff to beat the band, no more so than at Christmas. Here is his list of edible essentials to keep you well fed and watered throughout the holiday period

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025

A fashion editor's guide to the 12 dresses of Christmas
A fashion editor's guide to the 12 dresses of Christmas
The season of sparkle has arrived and with it a flurry of festive plans. Office soirées, yuletide cocktails, winter weddings: each occasion calls for a look that shines. So, get set for your gúna glow-up, folks. These are the dresses your wardrobe has been waiting for. Bring on the bubbles, and the compliments!

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025

Roasted turkey on holiday table
S Five of Darina Allen's go-to family recipes for a classic Christmas feast
This year I’m championing the old-school and the traditional, writes Darina Allen

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025

Christmas Red Wine in Front of the Fireplace and Christmas Tree with Gifts
A wine expert's guide to the best festive drinks for Christmas
Leslie Williams picks bottles for every budget, taste and Christmas celebration

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025

Stuffed roast turkey crown
Five top Irish chefs share their secrets to make the perfect stuffing for Christmas dinner
Turkey without stuffing is near unfathomable — actually, make that Christmas without stuffing for even when turkey is replaced entirely, Christmas stuffing seems to remain a non-negotiable for most. Five top Irish chefs offer recipes, ranging from the arch-traditionalist to some radical reinterpretations.

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025

Diary of a Gen-Z Student: All of my siblings have emigrated, I'll miss the Christmas family chaos
Diary of a Gen-Z Student: All of my siblings have emigrated, I'll miss the Christmas family chaos
I know they’re having a ball, but, selfishly, I’d just like if it could be had a little closer to home

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

Young woman organizing clothes in cardboard boxes at home
How the snowflake method could help you declutter before Christmas
Focusing on duplicates is a great way to keep it simple when it comes to clean outs, making it the perfect approach for a stress-free tidy before the festive chaos begins in earnest

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

Christmas summer with multi-ethnic gays
Richard Hogan: Christmas songs are like time machines — hop in and enjoy the nostalgia
Listening to the soundtrack of my Christmases past...

Wed, 03 Dec, 2025

The big Irish gift guide: 300 of the best gifts to shop for Christmas 2025
S The big Irish gift guide: 300 of the best gifts to shop for Christmas 2025
Digital editor Denise O'Donoghue rounds up 300 of the best Irish gifts to shop this festive season. This is your A-Z guide to Christmas gifting with a local twist

Wed, 03 Dec, 2025

Lazy Christmas at home
Dear Dáithí: My brother thinks his presence is our real present every Christmas
We used to actually get along when we both lived at home but ever since he got a job in Canada he acts like he invented work

Mon, 01 Dec, 2025

modern female buying clothes online in room at Christmas
The fashion editor's gift guide: 12 stylish things to buy this Christmas
From boyfriends to mothers, here are the Irish fashion gifts Style editor Annmarie O'Connor recommends this Christmas

Thu, 27 Nov, 2025

Beautiful emotional woman holding present box
The beauty editor's Christmas gift guide: 12 things to buy for everyone in your life
From daughters to mothers in law, Sally Foran reveals her makeup and skincare gift ideas for Christmas

Thu, 27 Nov, 2025

Christmas time
Richard Hogan: In my experience, children who get everything come to enjoy nothing
I’m not suggesting we don’t give our kids anything, I’m saying that we should help them to also think about others at this time of immense gift receiving

Wed, 26 Nov, 2025

Woman, sad and thinking on sofa by Christmas tree, trauma or bad memory with headache in home. Mature person, depression and lon
Dear Dáithí: I'll need to clone myself to cope with Christmas 'fun' without burning out
The house is full of gift sets, and boxes of chocolates squirrelled away for unexpected guests, and there are boxes of biscuits and festive drinks in the most random places

Mon, 17 Nov, 2025

cheerful santa man hold exotic fruit. healthy gift. bearded man healthy eating. merry christmas. happy new year. xmas gifts and
Bernard O'Shea: 5 things to do in November for a head start on your New Year’s weight loss
Every year, I make the same promise: January is when I will sort myself out.

Thu, 13 Nov, 2025

Darina Allen: How to make a light Christmas cake and a chocolate Yule log
Darina Allen: How to make a light Christmas cake and a chocolate Yule log
"I have to say I was properly impressed by the quality and have since sent in an order for several items to stock in our little Farm Shop, in Shanagarry."

Thu, 13 Nov, 2025

The Brehon Hotel & Spa: The ultimate luxury gift experience
The Brehon Hotel & Spa: The ultimate luxury gift experience
Discover luxurious accommodation, indulgent dining and bespoke spa treatments with a getaway to Killarney

Thu, 02 Jan, 2025

Cillian Murphy
Mick Clifford's A to Z of 2024: A look back at the people who shaped the passing year
A look back at the passing year and the people who shaped it, for good and ill

Mon, 30 Dec, 2024

Mrs.Clause on a Video Conference Call
Julie Jay: I’ve a niggling suspicion that Mrs Claus does more than bake cookies
To those objecting to the ad’s supppsed ‘wokeness’ please remember that there are very few problems which can’t be solved by a good scrub

Wed, 25 Dec, 2024

Champagne or sparkling wine with tangerines for Christmas. Festive concept. Mimosa cocktail
How to make a zingy Christmas morning Mimosa cocktail for breakfast or brunch
Freshly squeezed juice is key

Wed, 25 Dec, 2024

A Christmas spent lighting up the lives of others — one good deed at a time
A Christmas spent lighting up the lives of others — one good deed at a time
Arlene Harris talks to people who will spend their Christmas helping others in need, providing delicious meals, being on standby in case of emergencies, and even delivering gifts

Wed, 25 Dec, 2024

Secret Santas: Meet two very different men suiting up to bring magic and joy this festive season
Secret Santas: Meet two very different men suiting up to bring magic and joy this festive season
For around a month every year, these two secret Santas are the centre of attention at Christmas festivals and grottoes. They tell Ellie O'Byrne about the emotions and joy it brings, which makes it worth the year-round work it takes

Wed, 25 Dec, 2024

Flat-lay of Christmas table setting with chicken, wine and decorations
Darina Allen's go-to Christmas recipes, including her tried-and-tested classic turkey
Enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner with this trusted turkey recipe and the tastiest of festive trimmings, writes Darina Allen

Tue, 24 Dec, 2024

Limerick boy's Christmas wish? A phone to ring his hurling heroes
Limerick boy's Christmas wish? A phone to ring his hurling heroes
Noah Twomey, aged eight, was diagnosed with leukaemia just before Christmas 2023

Tue, 24 Dec, 2024

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas, keep dreaming
If you're dreaming of a white Christmas, keep dreaming
There's always next year...

Tue, 24 Dec, 2024

The Toy Collectors: Model citizen relives ancient battles in miniature and through re-enactments
The Toy Collectors: Model citizen relives ancient battles in miniature and through re-enactments
Shane Kent's home is besieged by hundreds of soldiers all fully armed and ready for battle. But fear not, the armies are in fact tiny models of ancient warriors that Shane paints and customises in exquisite detail 

Mon, 23 Dec, 2024

The Toy Collectors: 'My daughter loved her dolls, so they remind me of her'
The Toy Collectors: 'My daughter loved her dolls, so they remind me of her'
Carol Flanagan, 60, is now the owner of 70 dolls, a modest figure when compared to her earlier collection, which she estimates was in the hundreds

Mon, 23 Dec, 2024

HEATHER NASH
The Toy Collectors: 'You're never too old for dolls — or too young for models'
Sarah Horgan meets two very different toy collectors whose pastimes, while providing lots of joy, also spark their ambitions for the future 

Mon, 23 Dec, 2024

SANTA HAT ON BEACH
The Christmas swims taking place around Ireland and how you can take part
The countdown to Christmas is definitely on — so if you're planning a seasonal dunk then check out this list which includes couple of handy pre-Christmas swims too

Sun, 22 Dec, 2024

Magic moments: What's made Christmas Day special for Irish people over the years
Magic moments: What's made Christmas Day special for Irish people over the years
Ahead of the Christmas holidays, Deirdre McArdle asked 43 Irish people what makes the day special for them.

Sun, 22 Dec, 2024

Grey haired mature man and a little girl in Christmas sweater having fun and celebrating Christmas at home
What it's like to navigate Christmas as a grandparent 
It’s a delicate balance: wanting everyone at their house while respecting that adult children may not get along or may have new obligations

Sun, 22 Dec, 2024

What hours are Dunnes, Tesco, and M&S open over Christmas?
What hours are Dunnes, Tesco, and M&S open over Christmas?
For all those last-minute jobs and shop runs, here’s what you need to know about supermarket hours this Christmas

Sun, 22 Dec, 2024

Christmas Trifle
Michelle Darmody: How to make this zabaglione trifle — and the mistakes to avoid
"Zabaglione adds a very tasty layer in place of a more typical custard. In fact the zabaglione can be served on its own if you do not have the time or energy to create a trifle."

Sat, 21 Dec, 2024

'I don’t get any pain when I’m playing': Dancer and camogie player is a scoliosis success story
'I don’t get any pain when I’m playing': Dancer and camogie player is a scoliosis success story
11-year-old Helen Gleeson's parents are delighted with her progress — but they also offer support for parents who face delays getting scoliosis treatment

Fri, 20 Dec, 2024

White wine for Christmas Holidays celebration
Wine with Leslie: Last-minute bottles for gift-giving, and what to have with the big dinner
"...red is preferable, juicier reds such as Brunello, Southern Rhône or elegant Burgundy or Pinot Noir work better than Bordeaux — but if you want Bordeaux that’s fine too; it is a day of celebration..."

Fri, 20 Dec, 2024

Plastic or pine: Which Christmas tree is the greenest choice?
Plastic or pine: Which Christmas tree is the greenest choice?
Real trees sequester carbon while they're growing, and they can be chipped and composted afterwards. You need to reuse artificial trees for at least 10 to 20 years to offset their production emissions

Fri, 20 Dec, 2024

Last-minute beauty gifts under €40 — from your local pharmacy or supermarket 
Last-minute beauty gifts under €40 — from your local pharmacy or supermarket 
At this stage in the game, you might feel nervous about online delivery times. Fear not, as there are lots of exceptional beauty gifts to be found in your local supermarket and pharmacy. Here are some of our top picks.

Thu, 19 Dec, 2024

Silent Nights In: Nine ways to wear Christmas pyjamas
Silent Nights In: Nine ways to wear Christmas pyjamas
"After burning the Christmas candle at both ends, now’s the time to pour a glass of mulled wine, grab the Selection Box, and engage prone position on the sofa before the festive hijinks recommence in, oh, a few hours."

Wed, 18 Dec, 2024

TV's Rob Rinder: January is the worst time of year to be making resolutions
Rob Rinder: January is the worst time of the year to be making resolutions
The broadcaster, barrister and author talks about his love of cold swimming, hot runs, and what he thinks is the ultimate 'key' to wellbeing

Wed, 18 Dec, 2024

Tots to Teens: From North Pole magic to decorating cookies - Stocking fillers for the little ones
Tots to Teens: From North Pole magic to decorating cookies - Stocking fillers for the little ones
Here are some ideas for stocking fillers for the little ones

Tue, 17 Dec, 2024

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